Field Work

I take my students outside whenever possible, enlisting the living landscape as an active partner in teaching key concepts and skills. Fieldwork begins with careful observation, as students learn to read their surroundings and articulate questions about the relationships they want to explore. From there, they develop practical skills in measuring biotic and abiotic factors, working with environmental gradients, and quantifying the qualities of water, soil, air, and biota.

Working collaboratively in the field, students refine their communication and teamwork, learn to document and analyze data, and reflect on their process to make iterative improvements. Through this work, field studies become more than data collection—they are opportunities to practice scientific thinking, systems analysis, and shared responsibility, grounding learning in direct engagement with the world they seek to understand.